Pumpkins
by megaflash
Summary: Some Halloweens are more memorable than others


Stanley loved Halloween. This year he was dressed up like a wizard. He had small blue robes with stars on them and a pointy hat. On the tip of the hat was a silver half-moon. For his wand, he used a crooked stick he had found while playing in the yard.

Stanley was so excited for Halloween, that he put on his costume early. His mother had shaken her head when he came down for breakfast. His father had chuckled and turned the page in his newspaper.

"Did you pick up the pumpkins?" asked his mother.

"Yes dear," replied his father.

There were three things that made Halloween great. Costumes, candy, and pumpkins. Every year, Stanley and his parents would carve their pumpkins the day of Halloween. He had asked why they didn't carve them earlier. His father had explained that many years ago, he had forgotten to buy pumpkins until Halloween. Now it was a family tradition to spend the day carving silly faces.

After breakfast, his father brought the pumpkins inside. Stanley's pumpkin was the smallest of the three. The stem curled to the side, leaving a gap he could stick his hand through. Stanley's mother handed him a marker.

He stared determinedly at the little pumpkin, thinking of what to put, before nodding. Uncapping the marker, he carefully drew in a square eye then a triangular eye. Underneath, he drew in a big, open mouth with two fangs.

Now that the face was done, his father took out a large knife, and cut out the top off the pumpkin right off! After that, they all scooped out the insides together, and dumped all the pumpkin guts into the trash bin.

With the inside prepared, they carved out the face. Well, Stanley's father cut out the marked areas with Stanley giving directions over his shoulder.

Once his pumpkin was finished, his mother and father designed their own pumpkins. His mother's pumpkin had triangular eyes and a friendly smile, while his father's pumpkin had angry slants for eyes and a frown. Stanley loved all their pumpkins.

They ate lunch and then Stanley placed the pumpkins on the porch. His small, fanged pumpkin sat in between his parents happy and angry pumpkins. Then, he spent the rest of the day running around the yard, waving his stick around and pretending to cast spells.

Finally, the sun began to set. Stanley's mother straightened his costume and dusted off some dirt. Stanley's father handed him a small bag to hold his candy.

"Now remember, don't go outside Godric's Hollow," said his mother.

"Okay," he replied.

He bounded down the front porch steps and raced down the sidewalk. He turned right and stopped. On the sidewalk between his house and the neighbors house was a stranger.

He was dressed in wizard robes, but they were black. He wore no hat and his head was shiny and bald. The strange man was staring at the dividing fence.

Before Stanley could speak, the man turned his head to look at Stanley. His red eyes seemed to look right through Stanley, and he realized that the stranger had no nose. Only two slits where a nose should be.

The stranger smiled. A horrible thing that didn't reach his eyes Still looking at Stanley, the man raised a hand that held a bone white wand.

Stanley didn't hear what the man whispered, but he saw what happened next. A bright light streaked out of the wand and Stanley fell backwards. Wood splinters were scattered across the yard of a house that had _appeared out of thin air._

There was shouting coming from the destroyed doorway. Behind him, he heard his parents calling for him. The stranger looked away from Stanley and began to stride towards the opening he had made.

Stanley stumbled up and ran. He ran to his parents as screaming came from the unhidden house. A green light flashed in the corner of his vision. His parents pulled him inside and he shuddered. He couldn't get the stranger's smile out of his head.

**A/N**

**House/Team: Ravenclaw**

**Class Subject: Transfiguration**

**Story Category: Drabble**

**Prompt: [Action] Carving pumpkins**

**Word Count: 678**


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